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Nuclear power! Carcinogenic cell phones! The Stanley Cup! and the usual parade of kids dancing and shaking their bones, politicians throwing stones, etc. Discuss.
Huh?
Did anyone happen to realize that Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter & Jim Lauderdale was nominated for teh Grammy's?
It's hard to believe, but the Grammy's are now selecting people who have musical talent! (Robert Hunter, Warren Haynes, Tedeschi-Trucks.. ETC)
Did anyone happen to notice
Did anyone happen to notice that Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter & Jim Lauderdale was nominated for a Grammy?
It's hard to believe but the Grammy's are actually nominating acts that have musical talent! (Robert Hunter, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes, Tedeschi-Trucks.... ETC)
Shame the Europa '72 Box Set wasn't on the list for Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
US Military marks end of Iraq War
The only good thing to come out of that war was the downfall of Saddam Hussein and his murderous clan.
The only question after 4500 American dead military is: Was it worth it?
We know after Bush Jr. blew Valerie Plame's ID away as a CIA agent that the real reason wasn't WMD, it was to settle a score, Texas style cause Saddam hatched a plot against his father after Kuwait.
Plain and simple. These are the people who have led our country and caused others to make the ultimate sacrifice. What bullshit!
Bush is a war criminal.
Cheney is a war criminal
Take them to the Hague and chain them to the dock for 2 year trials.
USDOT recommends COMPLETE cell phone ban
900,000 accidents(!!!)almost 3100 deaths in 2010
What more evidence do you want. NO more cell phones (hands free or not, texting or not). The sentence schedule should be:
1st offense: 2 years suspension of license
2nd offense: 5 years suspension
3rd offense: LIFETIME SUSPENSION!
Think about it this way. You may not do it but you drive on the road every day with your loved ones. How would you like some 18 year-old texting and crossing the center line at 55mph?
How selfish. Turrn the fucking thing off!
~ Train 102 is on the wrong track & heading for you ~
the tag line on the news reports
Texting: the new DUI...
It really is a little unnerving how many of the current crop of traffic fatalities are due to cell phones, though. Including and especially train wrecks, at least in California--I can think of at least two spectacular ones in the last few years, one involving the engineer and one involving a truck driver who plowed right into the California Zephyr.
aren't you forgetting something?
'The only question after 4500 American dead military is: Was it worth it?'
maybe the families of the more than 100,000 dead Iraquis are asking the same question....
No, I didn't forget Badger
And thank you for bringing it up.
The dead and wounded Iraqis are estimated to be 600,000.
Throw in domestic and foreign contracrors, probably 5000 more.
An unconscionable slaughter by any test.
NO, the question must be answered, it wasn't worth it
reduction
appallingly, we could be discussing the very same thing in regards to Syrians soon.
just when WILL the U.S. learn?
your government is ultimately putting the entire world at risk.
again.
it's not enough to suffer natural disasters (or manmade "natural disasters"); catastrophic events like flooding, earthquakes and tsunamis; 20,000 Japanese suspected to be dead or missing. families destroyed. generations removed.
murders, accidents, religious discontent that has killed and kills more and more human beings every day.
unforeseen health issues that stop a baby's, child's and adult's life dead in its tracks.
but don't stop there.....
let's beat our chests, grease up the coffers and ruthlessly inflate our egos in an impotent display to hurt, torture and murder innocent lives.
you could almost laugh if it weren't for crying.
just another broken heart...
During the "run up"
To the Iraq invasion, a my-age Providence (RI) Journal columnist came out in favor of the war. I was quite dismayed and more than a little surprised, since until that time I had thought that we had pretty similar viewpoints. I shot off an email to him with a series of points to consider, to reconsider. It wasn't a letter-to-the-editor, but a more direct personal entreaty to try to change his mind.
A couple of weeks later, he wrote a follow-up column in which excerpted comments from several of his readers, including one of mine. He honed in on the most impassioned of my points, which was this: "do you believe so strongly in the 'cause' that is fueling this war-fervor that you are willing to give up your life for it? The lives of your children? Are you willing to have the blood of innocent children on your hands? If the answer is 'no,' then you have no business promoting ANY war, and most especially this one."
This all so very personal to me, and I know that my attitude is largely fueled by growing up with the constant looming threat of being drafted to fight in Vietnam. Put aside the geo-petro politics, the business-interest influence, the Bush-team vendetta -- killing is wrong and I need a very imminent threat to life and home to condone organizing the deployment of a massive kill team to prosecute a war in my name.
It has become so much easier to kill from a distance (drones, the most recent innovation. Sleep in your own home and attack a target half a world away during your work hours...aside from pushing the button on the ICBMs, I can't imagine a more detached and immoral way to kill, when the only physical danger you may face is the risk of a paper cut), and without a military draft any war fought by the US carries no risk of personal involvement by the average US non-GI Joe. We've managed to carry on our 21st century wars without it ever really seeming as if the country was at war at all...except to the direct participants and their families.
Well, if we are going to be at war, we all better be cognizant of the human consequences and of our personal complicity in the taking of lives -- lives on both sides of the conflict.
The Iraq war was never worth it. It'll be decades before we can really look at the consequences to determine (guess at, as we have no clue as to the consequences of not fighting the war) whether we did more harm than good.
Do the war dead get a vote?
Excellent
Really well written post, Dean!BRAVO!
sinking lower
yes, a wonderful thought provoking post.its such detachment and desensitization that allows us to eradicate human life without ever really feeling we're involved.
but it's also important to learn the lessons from past conflicts and understand the suffering that some soldiers and their families may have to endure.
there are many reasons why individuals join the armed forces, some of them never expecting or comprehending just what it would entail.
the amount of U.S. life left dead is nowhere near the amount of innocent Iraqi civilians but this just highlights the fact that in war, if proof were ever needed, no one ever truly wins. we mustn't allow ourselves to fall into the trap; the ease with which independent bystanders can sit, imaginary pipes puffed and heads held aloft and castigate and make devastating judgments (of which i'm sadly all too prone) on others in the knowing luxury of our living rooms, comfortably removed.
lives are destroyed, with the privileged few pushing the buttons, determining the horror and mental anguish that will surely follow; we must think clearly and treat this situation with sensitivity and respect.
true, some involved will have no regrets whatsoever. but some lives will be ripped apart and will cost them and their families dearly, maybe forever. read the harrowing book "Human Shrapnel" by Bill Shields for an insight into the human cost of warfare, a soldier left mentally eviscerated, then shunned by his country upon return.
pain and suffering is all one will achieve through war. no justice, just manipulation, greed and hurt.
we must not tar everyone with the same brush. there are, hard to believe when we're passionate about such immoral behaviour, innocents on all sides.
no one ever truly wins.
(i wrote a much better piece earlier but the computer crashed halfway through, losing everything; FUCKING thing).
sorry.
Strategic objectives in war
The oligarchs control the politicians and they declare the wars. Their objectives are based on raw materials and labor and markets. They depend on "think-tanks" for guidance. Morality has absolutely nothing to do with it. If it did, we would have had a multi-national force in Rwanda in the 90s. National pride cannot be discounted also if the Falklands war is any indication.
That is why we are surely heading for a war with Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan has about 5-20 nukes and Iran is closer to 2 than 3 years from developing a operational theatre nuclear-tipped missile. I think the only dividing reason between Israel and the US executing the Iran war-strike is who has the better ordnance. Given the deeply reinforced concrete tunnels Iran has constructed I think we can look forward to mini-nukes to bust the bunkers. The oligarchs reason for a hamstrung Iran is to keep the oil moving.
Pakistan is out-to-lunch and so unstable that it is imperative that their nukes be taken away from them lest terrorists get their hands on one.
Afghanistan's war will be over in 2014, hopefully. Who has won? I would say the warlords in coalition with the Taliban. Nobody holds on to a desolate piece of rock. When the foreigners go it will be back to business as usual.
The rich 1% are the only ones who want these wars, aside from religious extremists and they have become woefully anachronistic. Look at the progress of computers and look at the progress of human beings. Negative emotions are killing us and machines lack emotion. It would seem that if human beings are to survive our destiny must be put in the hands of computers with programs written by Tibetan Lamas.
Rise of the Nanny-Bots!
...and lower.
Iran and Pakistan do not pose a threat.if they do, they have been goaded into this reasoning by manipulation and coercion.
this isn't to say they are pure and innocent; all sweetness and light, but constant taunting and secretive yet blatant twisting of the screws; willful moulding and oleaginous and self-serving influence on a data, media and psychological level will provoke them into doing the very things the West "abhors" (and i use that word most wrongly, children), giving the bullies a self imposed justification for invasion, occupancy, torture, murder and control.
it's sickeningly smug and easy when you think about it; lies, discrimination, falsification and corruption, can guide a hand to commit atrocities in an agenda never previously considered.
by this same token, when will other countries decide to liberate the U.S.? or Europe? or the UK? when is our turn, that a group of people decide that we need a democracy (lets not kid ourselves that we live in one; it's barely concealed. better than most, but injustice is entertained on a major scale here. look at the recent signing and approval by the White House, President, House Of Representatives and others regarding the law concerning holding "terror" suspects (and i use that word quite wrongly, children) for indefinite periods without any kind of investigation or charge, reason or rhyme.
how charming.
a drone recently crashed in Tehran. the U.S. asked for it's immediate return.
i think that tells you all one needs to know about the mind set we're dealing with.
i promised myself i wouldn't respond to negativity and pessimism; but things are too hard to take.
i wash my hands of this stain on humankind.
we must aim higher.
Patriot Nation rolls over Broncos, clinch division
Tom Brady and the Patriots rolled over Tebow and the Broncos. No fourth quartermiracle for God's quarterback.
Surprisingly, the Pats. secondary played wirth some cohesion. Brady had an average day and hit almost every receiver except Ochocinco multiple times and they scored more than 40 points.
It's hard not to get excited about the Pats. but the playoffs are looming.
WTF?
Nothing like starting your Monday off with in-depth analysis of Chinese basketball players by a Chinese fan who has probably never heard the Grateful Dead.
And that topped off by a spammer, the cherry on that strange-flavored cake!
North Korean Major Domo dies of heart attack
The North Korean people are long-suffering, living on food hand-outs from China. This paternal line regime change is not expected to bring change to the regional politics of the area.
It would appear that their missile and nuclear programs are in disarray and a large majority of the population suffers from malnutrition.
The only caveat here is: How desperate will the new leader get? He could start a war. The last incident of sinking a S. Korean destroyer brought diplomatic temps. to a boil. A larger provocation would involve supreme patience from S. Korea. It is highly likely that the US would become involved in some capacity and so would the Chinese. Very dangerous flashpoint.
So, hopefully, N.Korea's new leader (with only several years in a Western prep school) has a level head and moves the two Koreas toward unification in the same way collapsing support from the USSR brought the Germanys together.
Nice thought, but not good odds.
Vote
I vote that the post about burning Palestinian children gets yanked out of here. Anybody agree, or is that just me hating that one?
already gone
weirdos are always with us, even spambot weirdos.
Hey, Warren Hellman died too, this is worse than stupid spambots.
Peter Aziz
just a quick message for anyone interested to sign a petition to help release Peter Aziz, the shaman healer who has been jailed for 15 months for administering Ayahuasca to a small group at a healing ceremony.he has studied shamanism for over 35 years and dedicates his life to helping others, barely making a living, enough to cover the basics for him and his family who live in a small council house.
another case of natural plants being demonised and completely misunderstood.
the petition is here - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/release-peter-aziz/
his website is here - http://www.azizshamanism.com/
the newspaper article on his jailing is here - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/02/shaman-jailed-over-hallucinoge…
they need at least 15,000 signatures. any help by all you fellow Heads would be much appreciated.
jonapi.
Real teachers of obscure lineages...
...are often picked on, Jonapi. I think the fear from the other side comes from people like this guy in Knoxville who has a NAC license to lead peyote ceremonies. The guy turns out to have helped a few and hurt far more with an unholy intent.
I'm sure the person you speak of is different.
Secretary of Defense Panetta...
...has drawn a red line in the sand about a nuclear Iran. It is unacceptable and will not be tolerated through the use of any means necessary. Secretary Panetta feels that it is less than a year till Iran gets the bomb.
This can be an interesting news week as everybody is involved with the holidays and all kinds of interesting stuff gets thrown under the bus.
House holds up...
soc. sec. tax relief extension as well as unemployment benefits extensions for longtime recipients. Tea Party Grinches really know how to twist the knife in poor people's hearts. Perhaps they will change the extensions from 2 months to one year.
lush
i see your Barcelona boys cruised to win the Cup World Cup, TigerLilly.if they get any better, it's not worth opponents bothering to turn up!
alas, poor Kashiwa Reysol couldn't even pull a third place position.
i hope you've learned your lesson TL, about replying to spammers; looks like you've been imbibing the Christmas bottle of Port early!! burning Palestinian children? what on earth are you talking about, you drunkard!!!
i rename you TigerTipply!
shale oil pipeline is an Obama headache
This pipeline from the Canadian Provinces to the Gulf Coast will create, what the owner and developer admitted, was a few hundred maintenance jobs once the project is completed. This is far from the "million new jobs" some pols. are slavering over.
Meanwhile, the technology is hideous and the liberal left is out in force with demonstrations and nonviolent actions like circling the White House. Obama, who gets considerable funding from large energy companies -- has a large problem with this part of his base.
LOL
NOPE, I have been stone-cold sober for many weeks, after I had a stomach operation! Marye saw that post too, and can verfiy that I was not hallucinating :D
Barcelona makes my heart beat faster alright-such a beautiful ball they play!! I am looking foreward to their game in Feb, when they will beat the most arrogant Bayern München, who has that despiccable Robben!
yellow magic!
i didn't realise you had an operation; you should have said. i would have wished you well.so, i'm wishing you well now instead! hope everything went smoothly and you're back on the single malts. or at the very least a good burgundy. or rum and coke. or vintage sherry. or something....
yep, Barca sure are somthin'; a pity about David Villa's leg break though. still, i'm sure they can find some players to replace him somewhere....
check this out.
this is 11 year old Japanese boy Takefusa Kubo who has been signed up for Barcelona youth team, Alevin C. he was spotted in Japan by Barcelona coaching staff!
and he speaks Spanish!!!!
no one fret about the title; jonapi half japanese and wife japanese.
how cool
is that kid! the big guys in Barca like to recruit from within their youth league-so how awesome for that boy. Messi came to Barcelona as a kid, for example.
No worries about not knowing about op-I wasn't talking about it openly, was too scary
happy shortest day of the year!
I can't for the life of me figure out why the shortest day of the year should coincide with many religious holidays. Ahh well, doesn't matter. From all the colors of people around the world many will be celebrating with material things or each other or both.
Hopefully we all get a few days break and recharge our batteries. Don't forget those whose fortune and karma are less than yours.
See you after the first of the year!
it coincides with religious holidays
because it scares the crap out of people. The sun! It's going away! No, wait, it's coming back! Over the years, people notice, ritualize, make up stories, some quite elaborate.
It's pretty widely known, for example, that Jesus was most likely born in March and the observation of Christmas at this juncture was cooked up in Roman times to keep the faithful away from Saturnalia.
As for me, it's always cause for celebration when the shortest day of the year is behind us.
guests just boasting in an open foyer
well i hope everything went well TL.it's always the buildup and anticipation of the unknown thats the worst rather than the thing itself (or maybe that was awful too of course; hopefully not).
wishing everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year.
won't be using the forum much now (to everyone's relief) so thought i'd get in reasonably early.
i hope Santa empties his sack down all of your chimneys.
US Naval 5th Fleet threatens Iran
Very interesting interview on the BBC with an Iranian student on the threat of Iran to close the Straits of Hormuz. A US aircraft carrier and guided missile cruiser just passed through the Straits and was seen as a broader campaign of provocation by the US and it's allies to goad Iran into war.
The US and allies are doing everything they can to get other countries not to buy Iranian oil. There are many violations of the UN Charter in these and other actions. A total embargo of Iran's oil exports would bring unacceptable suffering to the Iranian people (who, it should be remembered, have rebelled against their own government).
Iran would probably choose war if it comes to that.
Who can say what the truth is but this has opened my eyes regarding the Iranian situation and who the bad guys are, (Guess you were right, Jonapi).
Since when does the the US military threaten war against a foreign nation. isn't that up to the Executive Branch and the State Department?
Samoa skip a day
In Samoa when they go to bed tonight, (the 29th) they will wake up with the official date being the 31st, so that they will be in the same time zone as New Zealand-for economic reasons. How odd is that, to skip a day altogether!
trippy!
back in 1999, as the world was gearing up for the millennium hoopla, I was in Tonga with a friend on a biz trip, and that happens to be the closest bit of land to the dateline (as evidenced by the fact that the main hotel in beautiful downtown Nuku'alofa is the Dateline...). Much was made of the fact that this was THE place to ring in 2000... I suspect Samoa has given the matter some thought in the interim, though I guess there won't be millennial hooplas for a while. There are wheels within wheels on the dateline business, though.
Sicknesses so common...
...that a regional supermarket chain with a pharmacy is giving away medication for:1) Diabetes
2) High Blood Pressure
and many others. More junk food, anyone?
2011
sums it all up nicely.
let us pray that the OWS campaign kicks some serious booty in 2012.
preferably before Iran finally loses patience with systematic bullying and teaches the American people an irreversible lesson.
no one wants to see beautiful honest folk get hosed because of their governments greed, callousness and stupidity.
this is not the way the world should work.
Transcendence Ahead, Trouble Behind: Still More Currant Buns
fantastic news about Phil Lesh's new venture Terrapin Crossroads - http://terrapincrossroads.net/home/
if it does what it says on the tin, San Rafael and it's visitor's are some lucky people.
(cheeky hint, Phil: more jazz and experimental music, if you may be so Kynd!!!).
"let your sooooul glowwwww...."
probably how these Republican candidates would love to answer in these puff-chested meaningless debates.
they may as well be honest for once.
obama-Lama-ping-pong
whats with the ol' "unverifiable" gonzo?
don't tell us you've pulled a Leary and been goading us all with finance-speak only to pass on our deepest political blahs to 'The Man'?
or did the charms of that sweet young barrio boy prove too much and you've eloped to Mexico to make sweet enchiladas together...
or did you spend the holidays in the pokey for that quite unnecessary public exposure during the OWS march? (robes open were fine, but bending over and kissing the camera was beyond the pale)!!!!!!
we demand to know, you crazy mongoose you.
hope you're back soon lamagonzo, all in one piece.
gonzo
wanted his account deleted. He said he was quite sure on the matter. Therefore, I deleted his account.
I hope he comes back too.
bon voyage
that's a shame.oh well, gonzo...stay safe and let me wish you a Happy New Year.
hope to see you around these parts whenever the inclination strikes. won't quite be the same without you.
bon voyage II
I 2nd what jonapi said! Will miss Gonz and hope for his return-to keep us on our toes!
yeah, exactly.
People make their own decisions about this stuff and you have to respect it, but still, it's too bad. I hope he comes back to us.
Jonapi
that just means we gotta keep posting info-to make our own weak attempts to fill the Gonzo hole. :(
ohhhh, madam....
i have absolutely no intention of "filling gonzo's hole" you mucky pup!!!!!!!!
LOL
red face! :D
tee hee!
my apologies!
meanwhile, more news on the Marin nightclub front
here's a press release that I'm sure will make some folks happy:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sweetwater Music Hall to Open this January in Mill Valley
Rebirth of Landmark Roots Music Venue Marks a New Chapter for
San Francisco Bay Area Treasure Founded Nearly 25 Years Ago
MILL VALLEY, CA (January 11, 2012) – The much-anticipated Sweetwater Music Hall – a community gathering place and live music venue dedicated to bringing back the Sweetwater’s musical legacy to Mill Valley – is set for a soft opening this January. The opening of Sweetwater Music Hall marks a rebirth of the landmark roots music venue and Bay Area treasure founded by original owner Jeanie Patterson nearly 25 years ago.
A local venture that will be comprised of multiple investors including Bob Weir (Grateful Dead, Furthur) and other longtime supporters of Patterson’s club, the Sweetwater Music Hall is a state-of-the-art nightclub and café that will not only present nationally recognized top-quality entertainment but also will provide a comfortable home venue for local and emerging talent to perform and experiment. Through its intimate setting, the club is designed to be both a neighborhood hangout as well as a world-class entertainment destination employing cutting-edge Meyer Sound and streaming video technology capable of bringing exceptional live events to broader audiences.
"For years, the Sweetwater was the place many of us local and visiting musicians headed to when we were looking to play for fun,” said Weir. “Well, our clubhouse is back – and it belongs to all of us. Woo hoo – Mill Valley finally has its playpen back! Here we go..."
Located in the Masonic Hall at 19 Corte Madera Avenue in Mill Valley, the Sweetwater Music Hall will offer food, drinks and live music for all ages, including national and local headline musical acts; Open Mic Mondays with Marin County keys player Austin DeLone; as well as other types of performances and private events. The club also will offer residencies and master classes with accomplished artists beginning on opening weekend.
In addition to entertainment, the Sweetwater Music Hall will include a full-service restaurant and on-site catering led by renowned chef-restaurateur Gordon Drysdale (Pizza Antica, Café de Amis), who will offer artfully crafted, fresh, locally sourced and organic fare. At the soft-service café, initial orders will be taken at the counter and served by staff; subsequent orders may be placed tableside. While initially focusing on evening and happy hour fare, it is expected that by spring the Sweetwater will introduce breakfast and lunch, patio dining and musical Sunday Brunches featuring fresh-squeezed juices and super-premium coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters.
Over its nearly 25-year history, the original Sweetwater hosted performances by artists including Weir, Carlos Santana, Clarence Clemons, Elvis Costello, Gregg Allman, Huey Lewis, Jerry Garcia, Maria Muldaur, Sammy Hagar, Richie Havens and many other musical luminaries. In 1992, BBC Television shot a documentary at the club featuring Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker and Ry Cooder. That same year, Hot Tuna recorded two live albums at the Sweetwater. The new club intends to carry on this storied tradition.
Sweetwater Music Hall’s Live Music Calendar
Sweetwater Music Hall’s opening month includes outstanding musical collaborations; guitar-slinging rock ‘n roll; old-school funk, Latin, reggae and R&B; global funk; acclaimed singer-songwriters; fun for the whole family; and the return of a rollicking community favorite, including:
Friday, January 27: The Outlaws
Born to the blue-collar port city of Tampa, Florida, in the early 1970s, The Outlaws established themselves as premiere players in the phenomenon that came to be known as Southern Rock. Driven by the band’s high-powered, guitar-driven country-rock and three-part harmony, The Outlaws' earliest hits include their AOR classic, “Green Grass and High Tides,” as well as “There Goes Another Love Song.” The band’s 1980 cover of "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” was their biggest single chart success, reaching #31 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. Today, The Outlaws are at the threshold of a new era, with original singer/songwriter/guitarist Henry Paul and original drummer/songwriter Monte Yoho, Chris Anderson, Billy Crain, Randy Threet and Dave Robbins. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets: $31.50
Saturday & Sunday, January 28 & 29: Steve Kimock plus Special Guests
Steve Kimock is widely regarded as the quintessential musician’s musician. For nearly four decades, Kimock has been inspiring music fans with his transcendent guitar speak. While one can say that his genre is rock, no one niche has ever confined him. Instead, through the years, he's explored various sounds and styles based on what's moved him at the time, whether it’s blues or jazz; funk or folk; psychedelic or boogie; traditional American or world fusion. Every Kimock show is a fresh exploration of expansive jams and euphoric grooves -- and whenever this master collaborator with deep Bay Area musical roots comes to town, magic is in the air. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets: $40 in advance; $42 at the door
Sunday, January 29: Master Class with Steve Kimock
Bring your guitar and get ready for a rare opportunity to learn guitar technique from Steve Kimock in an intimate setting. Participate in hands-on instruction as the prolific guitar master discusses his approach to the instrument and some of the theory behind his technique. Limited seats are available for this very special event! Doors at 1 p.m., master class at 2 p.m. Tickets: $67 in advance; $77 at the door
Monday, January 30: Open Mic Monday
A much-cherished Sweetwater tradition is back! Open Mic Monday returns to downtown Mill Valley at the Sweetwater Music Hall, hosted by Austin deLone. To sign up, email openmic@swmh.com on Mondays after 3 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
Monday, February 6: Open Mic Monday
To sign up, email openmic@swmh.com on Mondays after 3 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
Wednesday, February 8: “Wednesday Night Live” with Mark Karan and Special Guests
Best known for performing with the extended Grateful Dead family, Mark Karan’s soulful blues-based vocal stylings and inspired guitar work hit that sweet spot where rock meets R&B and country, then is blended with the soul of New Orleans and spiked with reggae, folk, funk and whatever else the muse might bring. At “Wednesday Night Live,” Karan will explore new material and approaches with drummer Dave Brogan (ALO); bassist Joe Kyle, Jr. (The Waybacks); Danny Eisenberg on keys (Mother Hips, Ryan Adams); drummer Billy Lee Lewis (Tommy Castro, Roy Rogers, Jemimah Puddleduck); new friends Robert Powell and David Phillips on guitars, pedal steel and dobro; and surprise guests. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door
Sunday, February 12: YouthRock the Rebuild
Youth musicians from YouthRock the Rebuild (YRR) will host a concert to celebrate the return of Sweetwater Music Hall. The fun family event will include performances by Marin-based youth bands and vocalists. As a service organization, YRR is committed to raising money to support important causes. Proceeds from this concert will be donated to Kiddo! to help keep music and the arts as an integral part of our schools. Doors at 4 p.m., show at 5 p.m. Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Monday, February 13: Open Mic Monday
To sign up, email openmic@swmh.com on Mondays after 3 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
Friday, February 17: The 21st Annual Mardi Gras Mambofest with Rhythmtown-Jive and Special Guest Bonnie Hayes
A special Louisiana musical package of original music and selected covers of New Orleans R&B, funk, swamp-pop and marching brass tunes by a top-tier dance combo of Bay Area players who have worked with the likes of Earl King, Frankie Ford, Dr. John, Zigaboo Modeliste and Leo Nocentelli of The Meters, Lee Allen, La Vern Baker, Queen Ida, Sly & The Family Stone, Allen Toussaint, Commander Cody, Jesse Colin Young and Boz Scaggs, to name a few. Featuring: Tim Eschliman (vocals, bass), Ken "Snakebite" Jacobs (bari-sax), Mike Rinta (trombone), Michael Peloquin (tenor sax, harp), Kevin Zuffi (piano), Jimmy Sanchez (drums), and special guest Bonnie Hayes (vocals, keys). Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets: $15 in advance, $17 at the door
Saturday, February 18: Dan Bern with Common Rotation
Singer-songwriter Dan Bern is joined by friends and collaborators Common Rotation for a special West Coast tour stop at the Sweetwater Music Hall. While Bern’s musical tales receive comparisons to those of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, most recently Bern has focused much of his talent and sharp wit on writing songs for movies and other projects. He composed songs for the Jake Kasdan/Judd Apatow spoof Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, starring John C. Reilly, as well as for Apatow’s Get Him to the Greek, starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. L.A.-based Common Rotation’s modern folk-rock features a melodic blend of acoustic guitar, trumpet, banjo, harmonica and cajon. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets: $22 in advance, $24 at the door
Monday, February 20: Open Mic Monday
To sign up, email openmic@swmh.com on Mondays after 3 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
Wednesday, February 22: “Wednesday Night Live” with Mark Karan and Special Guests
Ace axe man/signer Mark Karan (RatDog, Jemimah Puddleduck) explores new material and approaches with drummer Dave Brogan (ALO); bassist Joe Kyle, Jr. (The Waybacks); Danny Eisenberg on keys (Mother Hips, Ryan Adams); drummer Billy Lee Lewis (Tommy Castro, Roy Rogers, Jemimah Puddleduck); new friends Robert Powell and David Phillips on guitars, pedal steel and dobro; and surprise guests. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door
Saturday, February 25: Vinyl
Marin County’s favorite funky sons, Vinyl is the rare sort of band that can meld funk, Latin jazz, dub and reggae without coming across as pale imitators of the style of the moment. Instead, Vinyl can alternately sound like the best live funk, Latin, reggae or dub band you've heard in ages -- and occasionally, all at the same time. Instead of going for flash or gimmicks, Vinyl brings it with fierce musicianship and zesty abandon, proving you can have both substance and style. It's an approach that has made the band favorites of the festival circuit, but the best place to experience them is on the dance floor of a hot, sweaty indoor venue. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets: $15 in advance, $17 at the door
The Venue
The first floor of the 107-year-old Masonic Lodge No. 356 in Mill Valley underwent an extensive renovation and has been transformed into a live music venue and café evoking the deconstructed elegance of a grand old home. Arriving at Sweetwater Music Hall, guests will walk through a courtyard and enter the café through four black French doors flanked by two courtyard lanterns. The café features an open kitchen and espresso bar, with classic French bistro tables and café chairs as well as a U-shaped pistachio-hued banquette. Walls dressed in exposed brick and warm camel color frame the space, while three chandeliers hang languidly from the high ceiling.
Moving into the music hall, guests are welcomed by an inviting ambience marked by a blend of comfort, rawness, beautiful touches and hidden acoustics. Guests may choose between standing room or seating options that include a long deep burgundy velvet and leather-tufted banquette; cocktail tables and chairs in black and brass; generously sized drink ledges that double as seating; and at the back bar, elevated seating that provides great sight lines across the music hall. Walls cloaked in antiqued burlap wallpaper with stenciled gold transition seamlessly to the coved ceiling, which reveals exposed wood joist and pin-spot lighting at its center. Sound panels are fashioned as decorative wall panels, while Moroccan wall sconces, black casework and black drapery accent the space throughout. Those who frequented the original Sweetwater venue may notice two memorable pieces of artwork: two much-loved mermaid paintings that have been retrieved for display at Sweetwater Music Hall.
Sweetwater Music Hall supports the San Francisco Bay Area Musicians Fund, the regional chapter of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to the non-profit charity organization, which provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability or age-related problems.
Tickets for all shows will be available at http://sweetwatermusichall.inticketing.com.
For bookings, please contact General Manager KR Holt at booking@swmh.com or info@swmh.com.
For more information, please call (415) 388-3850 or visit www.sweetwatermusichall.com or the Sweetwater Music Hall’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/pages/Sweetwater-Music-Hall/174766919255146
sweet chariot
the sweetwater return sounds mighty fine!way to go!
will all the ticketing be handled 'in house' as it were, or do ticketmaster et al get their grubby hands on them?
please say they've bypassed all that and are independent...